Accidents Happen
by Kohaku no Hime
Summary: Valon POV, set post series and with no pairings. "Today started off normal enough, y'know."


_Originally, I was going to post this as a part of "Come Together" but I decided that this should be posted as a separate piece. Why, I don't know…call it instinct, I guess. Microsoft Word's dictionary has some new additions, though—Valon's cockney accent is not very well liked on my computer._

_Though this fic takes place definitely after "Surprise," and "Where I Belong," it does not follow the timeline that is associated with "The Return." It's meant to be a stand-alone fic._

_My usual disclaimer is on my profile, and while you're reading this…go read "Of Bug Bites and Soul Caliber." It needs some love._

* * *

Today started off normal enough, y'know.

I mean, really…it all started off with nothin' unusual 'appenin'. Raph got up early as usual to go t' 'is job, stayin' 'alf-asleep while makin' 'is coffee. That 'as _got_ t' be the funniest thing in the world to see, if I ever wake up to watch (Alister described it t' me once, when I asked; I'm never awake whenev'r Raph gets up).

…If you don' quite understand what I'm describin', then think about big tough Raph wakin' up and walkin' into a wall. Once 'e almos' went to 'is job in 'is pajamas. He doesn' wake up all that easy, y'know?

But Raph left without doin' any of tha', and I wasn' awake t' see 'im leave.

I_ really_ wish right now tha' I'd woken up t' say goodbye.

Well, the mornin' went by, I woke up and got dressed and all tha' fun stuff. Life was normal-ish…Alister stuck around the 'ouse a bit, but 'e was in one of those moods: the 'I 'ad a disturbin' dream about my past and I really wanna be left alone' kinda mood.

So I figured I'd jus' leave 'im be. There was a pretty good movie on TV, so I watched that f'r a bit b'fore I got bored and went out. I went 'n' got the groceries at about four o'clock, 'cause it was my turn to go get 'em. I got what we needed and went 'ome, 'cause it was almost dinner and I'm not allowed to cook. Simple enough, right?

I walked in our 'ome and found that Alister 'ad gone out, most likely t' ponder on somethin' or another; 'e kinda broods a bit, and me 'n Raph learned back in DOOM t' not bother 'im when 'e's in moods like this.

So 'ere I was, five thirty-five in the afternoon of a normal day unloadin' groceries (there's a thought f'r ya. Normal? Me? Ha.) when the phone rings. I think it's Alister, 'cause 'e's been out and about this whole time, and 'e 'as to 'ave 'is cell phone, right?

I answer the phone and the world ends right there.

When it's not Alister's or Raph's voice on the other end of the line, I get suspicious. When the caller announces that 'e's with the Domino Police Department, I get suspicious_ and_ worried—'cause the cops don' ever call you unless there's somethin' up.

When said cop tells me that Raph's been in a severe car accident, I drop the phone and make a beeline for the 'ospital.

And 'ere I am now, sittin' in the waitin' room 'n' waitin' for someone to tell me 'bout Raph.

I 'aven't the foggiest where Alister is. I called the 'ouse, left a message, then called 'is cell phone in hopes the bloke would answer me, but he 'asn't and all I can do is wait. I get mad at myself 'cause I just realized that I didn' leave 'im a message on 'is cell phone—and mine jus' died.

Curse it all, Alister. Where the 'eck are ya? You don' ever leave the 'ouse without your cellphone…you better not be ignorin' me, chum. And Raph, you 'aven' the faintest idea that I am out 'ere, do ya? Prob'ly not—you conked your 'ead pretty 'ard, if I 'eard right.

It's 'ard to b'lieve that you're in 'ere, Raph. You never get this badly 'urt, not even back in DOOM; the worst inj'ry I've ever seen on you was a papercut, 'cause your one motorcycle accident 'appened before we met and I was kinda soulless when Paradius fell and you went down with it...now that I'm thinkin' 'bout it, 'ow was it you didn' end up dead from the fall? I never asked you 'bout that, did I?

But 'ey. If by some off chance you can 'ear me, Raph (we've seen and done stranger things, right?), you're gonna be fine. If you can survive a shipwreck, bein' alone on an island for three years, gettin' your soul taken, and escapin' a collapsin' buildin' with on'y a few cuts and bruises, you can definitely survive this. I _know _you can. After everythin' we've been through, this is child's play—you're not about t' let some stupid hunk o' metal do ya in, are ya?

After a bit, I wander off to find the bathroom—my 'ead hurts and I need to get away for a spell. I walk in, get a damp paper towel, and press it against my face to get rid of the sudden 'eadache. It's a neat trick, that; Raph taught me it once, when we were on the road and I 'ad a 'eadache. It does the trick, 'cause the 'eadache slowly goes away.

As I'm leavin' I glance at my reflection in the mirror, and all I can think is how much of a mess I look. My eyes are standin' out against my face (which is paler than Alister's at the moment; I swear that the bloke's part vampire, 'e's gotta be!) 'n' 'm 'air's more unruly than normal. B'cause my face is so pale it's makin' my eye color stand out…it's an ice blue…

Like Raph's.

I am real quick about bookin' it outta the room, lemme tell you. World record set right there, forget all those Olympic runners.

Seein' 'ow as I'm worried 'bout Raph, I 'ead back to the waitin' room. No point in lookin' for a mirror…at least I'm not in immediate danger of bawlin' my eyes out like some poor distraught sheila. Lord, that'd be embarrasin'—Alister would never let me live it down.

Alister will be 'ere soon. He's gotta be…I mean, he's 'ad t' 'ave gone 'ome by now and gotten my message. I suddenly imagine Alister on 'is motorbike getting' run over by a big truck…I growl, shovin' the thought away.

I don' need that kinda imagery righ' now—one chum in the hospital is enough.

To clear my 'ead 'n' stop m'self from thinkin' bout it, I begin playing connect-the-dots-with-the-random-splotches-on-the-floor-tha'-don'-even-look-like-bloomin'-dots-t'-begin-with. I know it's a made up game—like _you_ could do better under the circumstances? And it sorta works 'cause I stop seeing Alister and Raph getting' run over by cars…

A little while later I look up and there's Alister.

Right now 'e's talkin' with a doctor and a police officer, gettin' the news 'bout what 'appened. He's wearin' 'is normal outfit of a too-short tank top, dark trenchcoat, and dark pants, and ever so calmly ignorin' everythin' else but what they're sayin' t' 'im. I notice a few new bruises and cuts on 'is face, 'ands, and waist and it seems like 'e's favorin' one leg, but 'e looks fine otherwise.

I'm relieved t' see Alister, but because 'e is so bloomin' emotionless I 'ave no idea of what they are tellin' 'im. And I'm dyin' t' know what the devil 'appened t' both Raph and Alister.

Alister gives a bundle of somethin' t' the doctor, thanks 'em both quietly, then 'e's limpin' over. He looks over at me and tips 'is 'ead wordlessly to the door. I know what that means, and I'm already on my feet, followin' 'im out. Next thing I know, we're outside and it's nightfall now, and boy is it chilly; sun must've gone down while I waited for Raph. I glance at a nearby clock and note it's nearly eight o'clock—where'd time go?

Never mind that. I'm about to explode. "What happened t' ya, chum? Why didn' you answer your cell phone earlier?" I ask, starin' at a gash that's visible across 'is waist.

"One of the tires on my motorcycle blew out while I was coming here and I got tossed across the road. It seems the vehicular world hates me and Raphael today," replies Alister with a 'arsh, bitter laugh.

He was in an accident, too? Alister got lucky then—most motorcycle accidents are worse than that. I've been in more than one, Alister's on'y been in a handful, and Raph 'as only 'ad one accident. Once I'm reassured that Alister isn' 'urt too bad, I remember Raph.

"What'd the doctor say? Is Raph gonna be all right?" I ask urgently. I wanna know…I've spent three hours knowin' next to nothin' 'bout Raph…I want answers.

Alister says nothin' for a moment, and I'm afraid that 'e's 'bout t' tell me that Raph is gonna be in a coma, or that he's dyin' and there's nothin' they can do, or—

"Raphael was coming home from work," says Alister quietly, cuttin' into my thoughts, and my focus is on 'im now. "A man was heading to a late business meeting and ran the red light as Raphael was crossing the intersection. His car was hit on the driver's side—Raphael most likely never saw it coming. The other man is unhurt but down in police headquarters, being jailed for reckless endangerment; he will be footing Raphael's hospital bill and expenses for the damage to his car."

I know that already. _What about Raph?_

I ask that aloud and Alister's gray eyes soften slightly. "We got lucky," he says quietly, 'is voice slightly shaking, and it's only then I realize just 'ow many emotions 'e's hidin' from me. "He's got a pretty bad concussion and four broken ribs, and part of his lung deflated; the only reason he's still in the operating room is because there was a lot of glass stuck in his body. Beyond that…I don't know."

I nod slowly, digestin' what've been told. Raph isn' in any real danger…but we still don' know if 'e's gonna have some sorta brain damage from 'ittin' 'is 'ead too 'ard or if 'e's paralyzed.

We'll have t' wait for Raph to wake up t' find out.

Alister's face is paler than normal, 'is violently magenta hair standing out horribly against 'is skin, and 'e's clearly strugglin' to 'old in whatever emotion he's feelin' in; it's a character trait that me 'n' Raph aren' very fond of, 'cause we can' ever tell 'ow he truly is feelin'.

"We need to go back inside…in case we get more news," he says quietly, turnin' to walk back in the 'ospital. I nod dumbly 'n' follow after 'im. As I begin walkin' back, I can't 'elp but wonder why 'e brought me out 'ere t' begin with. I mean, 'e coulda jus' told me the news inside the hospital room. When I ask 'im, he looks at me with one of those emotionless looks on 'is face that I _really_ 'ate and 'e says, "Because you looked like you were about to burst into tears, and you needed fresh air."

He walks back inside 'fore I can do anything, but I unnerstan' the unspoken part of that sentence: "Raphael would have done the same thing."

Raph would've, too. He's just tha' kinda guy.

* * *

As it so turns out, by the time Raph gets outta surgery it's 'bout ten o'clock; there was a lot more glass than they anticipated, but all the same the life-threatenin' part's over—for now.

Raph's in intensive care and 'e's been sedated. We can't go see 'im jus' yet…somethin' about an observation period, t' make sure 'e's gonna be okay 'cause he hit 'is 'ead pretty 'ard and 'cause of 'is lung.

We don' know any more 'bout 'is condition than that.

Since visitin' hours ended at eight, me 'n' Alister kinda 'ead 'ome; we tried to stick around, but we were pushin' it waitin' for Raph to get outta surgery. One of the nurses was kind enough to patch Alister up 'fore we left, so we have one less thing to worry 'bout now.

Misa greets us with a loud meow and rubs all over us as we walk in, lookin' for Raph. I shove 'er away 'alf-'eartedly with my foot, not in the mood for 'er antics. I'm dead tired, but I'm keyed up, too. I can' sleep…not now…not with Raph in the 'ospital.

Alister seems t' understand as 'e disappears into the kitchen, and 'e asks over 'is shoulder, "Do you want anything to eat?"

I shake my head miserably, shufflin' into the kitchen and sittin' in a chair. With a pang, I realize that I'm occupyin' Raph's seat and I all but fly from it. Alister sees me, and 'e shakes 'is 'ead in tired amusement. "Valon, Raphael's not dead, you know."

"But…that's where Raph sits…" I trail off, not really sure how t' explain what I'm feelin'. I sit back down in my seat, avoidin' lookin' at Raph's empty chair.

Alister knows, though.

He puts some kinda soup in a bowl before settin' it in the micro. After he sets the timer 'e opens up the fridge, getting' somethin' out. Next thing I know I'm getting some sorta bev'rage put in fronta me. It's a glass of chocolate milk. "Drink it," he orders, 'is face expressionless but 'is eyes sympathetic.

Most people 'ave some kinda comfort food; women eat chocolate, men eat 'tato chips. Us three fellas, we 'ave chocolate milk. We aren' sure what's so appealin' 'bout it, but 'ey. Less fattenin' then 'tato chips, right?

…I jus' sounded like a bloody sheila. _Fattenin'? _Hope you're 'appy, Raph. I'm so upset I'm thinkin' like a girl.

Alister's placin' a bowl of steamin' 'ot soup in fronta me now as well, and he's sittin' down next t' me. We both aren' lookin' at Raph's seat, and I'm pickin' at my food; I'm sippin' at the chocolate milk half-heartedly. I 'ave no appetite—I'm still too worried 'bout Raph.

I blink, realizin' Alister jus' said somethin' t' me, and I make myself focus on 'is words. "Sorry, mate, say that again?"

"I was wondering why you don't ever call Raphael by his full name," said Alister now, somethin' of curiosity in 'is eyes. He wants t' talk 'bout somethin', _anythin'_, that'll take 'is mind offa where Raph is; 'e's fishin' around for somethin', and I wonder if 'e's tryin' to get me distracted.

I think about what 'e's asked, and I find that I am wonderin' that m'self. I don' remember why I started callin' 'im Raph; if anyone wants t' guess at it, I s'ppose that I call 'im that 'cause it just seems t' fit. On my firs' day in the DOOM temple, I 'eard Raph's full name and decided I didn' like sayin' it. It seemed too…serious. So I shortened it.

I say that and Alister looks vaguely amused. "You know, he never let anyone else in DOOM call him that. He gave that privilege to you," he says now. "Raphael refused to let anyone besides you use that name because you were the only one bold enough to call him that."

"Really?" I ask in moderate surprise. The way Alister says 'bold', it kinda makes me wonder if Raph wasn' such a nice guy 'fore we all met up.

Alister yet again seems t' read my mind. "A lot of people were intimidated by Raphael when they first saw him; they all were convinced that he was going to beat them up. You weren't, and I wasn't either, which is why Raphael decided to be friendlier with us than everyone else," he explains.

The mental image of wise, gentle-natured Raph wearin' a pinstriped suit and actin' like some kinda mafia don is ridiculous and I suddenly find myself tryin' not t' laugh.

"How d'you know all this?" I ask, tryin' t' figure out where 'e'd 'eard that. Maybe 'e came up with it on 'is own. Alister's fun like that. But then again, Raph could've just as easily told Alister—they're both quiet blokes, and quiet people attract quiet friends; they have all sorts of conversations whenev'r I'm not around.

Sure 'nough, Alister says, "Raphael told me once, when I asked him why he let you call him that."

It suddenly occurs t' me that Alister hasn' said 'Raph' the entire conversation, and I wonder why that is. But then I realize that Alister's respectin' the fact that I'm the only one that calls our missin' chum by that name. The thought cheers me up a bit.

Alister starts eatin' 'is soup quietly, and I follow suit, my appetite suddenly returnin' with no explanation. We eat in slightly more comfortable silence, and I help Alister do the dishes (which are few in number). Alister's a quiet fella and likes to read when 'e's stressed out—Raph does, too— so 'e sits down on the sofa and picks up a book. I myself turn on the TV and try t' find the remote.

It figures that the news channel was on; Raph watches it a bit in the mornin' 'fore 'e goes to work.

It also figures that they're talkin' 'bout the accident.

I scramble t' find the remote and turn the TV off, but not 'fore we see a picture. What's left of Raph's car and a red SUV-thing are smashed together in the middle of an in'ersection; police cars are gathered round the scene. There isn' an ambulance—most likely, Raph was already at the 'ospital when they took the photo.

I finally found the remote and turned off the TV, immediately throwin' the device at the wall. Stuff like that doesn' 'elp, not when we know next t' nothin' bout how Raph's doin' right now.

Alister's gone stiff on the sofa, 'is eyes locked on the black screen where, moments earlier, the picture of Raph's car was. Misa, who had hopped into 'is lap, meows and 'e starts pettin' 'er; 'e's not really thinkin' 'bout Misa, though.

Neither of us say anything for a long moment, and the silence is thick with worry and tension. I hate silences like this…for that matter, I hate bein' so bloody 'elpless. Raph needs us, and neither of us can do anythin' for 'im.

"…Alister?"

When he looks over at me I ask, "Raph's gonna be okay, isn' he?"

Alister is still lookin' at me, and I 'ave no idea just what is runnin' through 'is 'ead. After another minute or so, 'e nods and says, "He'll be fine Valon. First thing tomorrow morning, we'll go back to the hospital and go see Raphael."

Alister's lyin' through 'is teeth, and 'e and I both know it. Neither of us is sure what to expect from the 'ospital when they call us, and Alister sayin' it to reassure the both of us.

It's only now that I realize that neither of us 'ave had an argument since the accident happened—if Raph were 'ere, he would be sorta happy about that. I can see 'im throwin' 'is 'ands in the air in mock celebration, and the thought makes me smile a bit.

We both go t' bed after that, wantin' nothin more than to let the next day come bright and early so we can find out 'bout Raph. At the same time, I'm dreadin' it—what if Raph gets amnesia? What if 'e never wakes up? What if 'e's paralyzed from the waist down? What if 'e…what if 'e kicks the bucket all of a sudden?

Needless t' say, I didn' get to sleep 'til 'bout three in the mornin'.

* * *

…Bloody…the phone's ringin'…someone answer it 'fore I…aw, too late. I'm up.

What time is—FIVE? Five in the freakin' _mornin'_? What moron is callin' us this early? They'd better 'ave a good—!

Raph. Hospital. _News._

I once again put all track runners t' shame and scramble outta the bed. I'm outta the room in less than three seconds and grabbin' the 'all phone in the next. "'Ello?"

Sure 'nough, it's a doctor on the other end of the line, and 'e's askin' for Alister. I turn to 'urry into the redhead's room, but Alister's already there—he musta figured out who was callin'. I don' 'ave t' explain who it is as 'e takes the phone from me.

Alister yet again drives me up the wall, 'cause all 'e does is listen, nod, and make, "Mmhm," sounds, 'is face emotionless. THAT ISN'T TELLIN' ME ANYTHING, MATE! What's 'appenin'? Is Raph okay? I want _answers_, blast it all!

After another silence, Alister 'angs up and he looks up at me. At first, 'e doesn' say anything and I fear the wors', but then 'is eyes light up and I can see the relief etched into 'is face. "Raphael woke up briefly at about four thirty-five this morning, Valon. They've determined that he has no brain damage, no spinal damage, and no major memory loss, and he's been moved out of intensive care."

Alister pauses, and then 'e unleashes one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen on 'im. "He's going to be all right," he finishes.

…He's going to be all right.

_'e's gonna be all right._

I don' even care that my dignity is at stake, or that it's the crack o' dawn right now and Alister's probably not in the mood enough for any crazy stuff. I let out a whoop that echoes and sprint outta the room. I'm so 'appy right now, I go back in the room and pull Alister into a very brief 'ug before releasin' 'im and continue runnin' around like a crazy idiot.

Raph's gonna be all right—that's all that matters t' me.

Alister's startled by the hug, I can tell, but 'e's got a relieved smile too and he shakes 'is 'ead. "Get a quick shower and get dressed; we need to be there when he wakes up again. Visiting hours start at seven, but they said we could come in early to see him—he was asking for us."

I don' need t' be told twice. I'm already in the bathroom, lickety-split.

'Cause I wanna see Raph, too. And I'm sure Alister wants t' get there as soon as 'e can.

* * *

We arrive at the 'ospital at about six thirty, 'cause we 'ad to stop for breakfast. We've gotten our appetites back, now that we know that Raph's gonna be okay.

They tell us that Raph's asleep (not unconscious) and hasn' woken up since they called us; they also told us 'e did try to stay awake f'r us, but 'e couldn' do it. Typical Raph—even if 'e's in the 'ospital 'e's more worried 'bout us. Doc says that our chum's gonna be 'ere for the better part of a week, 'cause of 'is lung. He also tells us to let Raph sleep; 'e'll need all the rest 'e can get.

The doc and nurse take us to 'is room, warnin' us to not talk in too loud of a voice—outside o' 'im still bein' asleep, Raph's most likely got a killer 'eadache.

I resist the sudden urge to say, "Duh."

As Alister's openin' the door, I suddenly realize I haven' seen Raph in nearly twenty-four hours. I also realize that this is the first time since DOOM that I've been up before ten o'clock in the morning, and I'm dead tired. I hope Raph appreciates that.

I'm not really sure what I'm expectin' t' see when we're let in. I remember that Raph 'ad a 'urt lung, so maybe 'e's got one of those oxygen mask things on 'im. He might also be in one of those 'ospital gowns—I 'ope not. We've never really talked 'bout it, but neither one of the three of us likes those things; we rather like our dignity, thank you very much.

I stop thinkin' when I see Raph.

The firs' thing I notice is that 'e isn' in an 'ospital gown. Instead, 'e's wearin' a button up shirt tha's open at the moment and I suspect a pair of pajama bottoms; i's not like I can see under the blanket. I suddenly remember Alister 'andin' that bundle to the doctor yesterday and I realize that it was a change of clothes for Raph. So he 'ad ducked back 'ome…that's 'ow 'e found out.

Raph's lyin' real still on the hospital bed, eyes closed; 'e's been propped into a semi-sittin' position, I realize now it's 'cause of 'is lung. He's pale, but there's faint color in 'is cheeks, which is always a good sign. He's breathin' on 'is own, too, and that cheers me up immensely. I can see a whole bunch of bandages wrapped 'round 'is torso 'n' a tube bein' held down by a strip of medical tape leads from the left side of 'is chest into some jar lookin' thing. Tha's also f'r 'is lung, I figure out. He 'as bandages wrapped around 'is 'ead and Band-Aids all over 'im, from where they removed the glass, and an IV line leads from the top o' one of 'is hands. Ouch—Raph's gonna be ticked 'bout that if it interferes with reading a book while 'e's 'ere.

Except for the obvious signs, Raph looks like 'e's just sleepin'.

Alister's already pullin' up two chairs and I'm sittin' in one b'fore 'e's finished settin' it down. I'm not goin' anywhere, and I'm bloody determined t' not move until Raph's awake. Alister's got a similar look on 'is face; we spent nearly fourteen hours worryin' 'bout 'im, and we aren' leavin' now—not even Armageddon could make us move.

O' course, sittin' in near silence for an hour, with nothin' but the 'eart monitor beeping and the sound of Raph's breathin', can get pretty borin' right quick…especially considerin' I'm runnin' on only an hour 'n' a 'alf of sleep.

My eyes are slippin' closed, and I'm fightin' t' keep 'em open…but maybe if I just rested my eyes for a spell…five minutes of sleep, and I'll be right as rain…

* * *

…I think it's time I wake up…but I'm so bloody comfortable…no, chum, c'mon. No rest for the weary.

As I wake up more, I figure out I've been usin' my arms and the right side of Raph's bed as a pillow, and I wonder now if Alister let me sleep longer than five minutes…that bugger. I asked 'im t' wake me up.

I look across the bed and see that Alister's sittin' in 'is chair, fast asleep. 'is head's on 'is chest in what 'as to be the most uncomfortable position in the world, and i's on'y then tha' I remember 'e's an insomniac. Ah, now I know why 'e didn' get me up—poor bloke, he probably got less sleep than I did, 'n' even though 'e can stay up all 'ours it doesn' mean 'e's good at it.

There's a clock across the room, and after squintin' a bit ('cause I'm 'alf asleep still) I figure out I've been nappin' for roughly three hours—I 'ave no idea 'ow long Alister's been conked out, but if I know 'im any 'e's on'y been asleep for an 'our.

"Valon? Are you awake?" someone asks in a slightly breathless and raspin' tone, not speakin' too loudly.

It takes a second t' sink in but when it does I sit up straight, 'cause I just realized who's talkin'.

Raph's conscious.

He's managed to sit up straighter, probably takin' the greatest care in the world t' not wake _me_ up, like I'm the one who's in the 'ospital bed. It seems 'e was reading a magazine 'fore I decided to rejoin the land of the livin'; looks like the IV didn' interfere much. Now 'e's lookin' at me, amusement twinklin' in 'is tired eyes. "Did you have a nice nap?"

I can't make m'self talk…blast it all, Raph. I can' think of a thing t' say.

Alister starts wakin' up when 'e 'ears our voices and 'e lifts 'is head up. When 'e sees that Raph's awake 'e sits up straighter in 'is seat almost immediately. He's surprised too, but 'e isn' stunned speechless. "You're doing better, obviously," he says, smilin' slightly.

Raph nods. "I've been awake for a while, but you two looked like you needed the sleep. The least I can do for making you stay up all night is to let you catch a nap," he states, keepin' 'is voice down and 'e's tryin' t' catch his breath every few words.

That sounds like what Raph'd do; 'e knows why we're here and why we're asleep. "Shame on you, Raph. You made us worry," I say in a shaky voice, tryin' to force a laugh. I don' want Raph all worried 'bout me—not when _he's_ the one sittin' in the 'ospital bed.

Raph's not fooled in the slightest. "That bad?" he asks Alister quietly.

"Yes. We weren't sure if, when you woke up, you would have some sort of brain damage. Some of the doctors were totally convinced that you would end up with that, or you'd be paralyzed," says Alister, and I can see the relief in 'is eyes that Raph didn't end up with what 'e was describin'.

Raph nods again. "Well, that definitely explains the headache," he says now, rubbin' at 'is 'ead. The blankets near 'is feet shifts slightly, and he says, "I'm not paralyzed, either, from what I can tell. However," he continues with a wry smile, "it looks like I had an accident with a Band-Aid delivery truck."

I've never felt so relieved before in all my life.

"Well, tha's good t' hear, mate!" I say cheerfully, not fakin' anythin' this time. "That means you can come 'ome all the faster! Or mebbe we could sneak Misa in 'ere."

Raph chuckles, wincin' slightly; I don' reckon that laughin' is the best medicine for 'im right now. "That would be nice," he agrees. "Though we'll have to figure out how I am supposed to get home—I don't think the doctors would let me ride my motorcycle."

His expression darkens right after 'e says it and he's lookin' slightly guilty. "This shouldn't have happened," he says quietly, lookin' at us.

I know what he's about t' say, and Alister does too 'cause he cuts Raph off with a sharp, "Don't you _dare_ apologize for something that was beyond your control. Accidents happen, even to the best of drivers."

Raph blinks in surprise. "I didn't know you were a mind reader," he jokes, though 'is eyes are still guilty lookin'.

"I've wondered 'bout that too," I say now, determined to prevent Raph from apologizin'; he doesn' need to, and I see no reason why 'e should. "Maybe Alister's an alien from space, or 'e's psychic," I continue, well aware that I am startin' to babble.

Alister raises an eyebrow at that. "An alien?"

"Well, sure. No normal 'uman bein' dresses like you do. Least, no normal _man_ that I've ever seen."

"And you have room to talk? You wear _armor,_ for crying out loud. Not to mention your hair looks like stuck your finger in the light socket when you were younger."

"At least I don' look like a sheila."

Raph sighs and shakes 'is 'ead. "You two never quit, do you?" he murmurs, but he's smilin' now. It also seems that 'e's given up on apologizin', and that's doubly good.

A nurse walks in almost right after that, temporarily disruptin' me 'n' Alister's newest argument while she's checkin' Raph's condition. After she gives Raph what I think are some pain-killers, she wishes us good day and walks back out. Right friendly nurse, she is—she came by while Raph was still out earlier and offered me 'n' Alister some coffee, and she was also the same one who fixed up Alister.

We continue talk for a bit after that, but it's obvious that whatever drugs the nurse gave Raph are beginnin' to kick in. He's startin' to get disoriented and 'is eyes are slightly crossin'. We get the 'int definitely when Raph starts noddin' off 'n' fallin' asleep. Decidin' that now was the best time for a break, Alister 'n' I tell Raph we'll be back later and the two of us slip out the door to let 'im rest.

As Alister shuts the door softly behind us, I suddenly realize somethin' that hadn' occurred to me until just now.

Alister normally keeps off to 'imself 'n' away from people in general, though 'e comes outta 'is room 'ccasionally to sit with Raph; the two blokes read their books or summat, usually when I'm on one of my games or when I'm out. Sometimes 'e spends whole days at a time outta the house, doin' Lord only knows what.

This entire time that Raph's been in the 'ospital, Alister never left me by myself…shoot, I even remember 'im checkin' up on me after we both went to bed last night. This's completely the opp'site of what I expected Alister t' do—back in DOOM, he was never this friendly t' me, let alone Raph.

We really 'ave changed since DOOM, 'aven't we?

In my 'onest opinion, it's a change for the better.

"Are you coming, Valon?" asks Alister, watchin' me. He's lookin' tired, and I can kinda tell that 'e wants to get 'ome and take a nice, long nap 'fore we come back 'ere later. Not that I blame 'im—I'm ready to go get me some decent sleep, without worryin' bout Raph gettin' fitted for a halo.

"Yeah, 'm comin," I say, hurryin' after Alister.

The two of us 'ead back 'ome, and predictably Alister is makin' a beeline for 'is bedroom; he's listin' to the side a lot. I'm right behind 'im and steadying 'im when it looks like he's gonna fall down the stairs. Alister mutters what sounds like a thank you as he stumbles to 'is bedroom; I wonder 'ow he managed to drive 'ome when he's so tired.

"Alister?"

He looks back at me from 'is doorway.

"…Thanks for stickin' with me, chum," I say, and there isn' a need for me to delve and explain what that all means. Alister's intelligent, he know what I am talkin' about.

He nods once before slipping inside 'is room, and I know that it's the closest thing of a "you're welcome," that I'm gonna get outta 'im. Right b'fore 'e disappears, though, I swear I can see a faint smile on 'is face.

I walk inside my own bedroom and flop on my bed; within minutes I am almost asleep. Misa decides to grace me with 'er presence, purrin' a mile a minute and curlin' up in th' crook of my arm; now I see why Raph likes cats so much.

"We'll havta find a way to smuggle ya in t' see Raph," I say drowsily, and then I close my eyes and I'm instantly asleep.


End file.
